HARRY KANE has revealed that Jude Bellingham attempted mind games before taking a Champions League penalty for Bayern Munich.
The England captain made it 2-1 from the spot in Tuesday’s 2-2 first leg clash with Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena.
But seconds before taking his penalty, England team-mate Bellingham attempted to make contact before referee Clement Turpin told him to move away.
Kane said: “Actually on the pitch, I knew he was there but I didn’t know what he said.
“I spoke to him after and he said: ‘I know you’re going to go left of the keeper.’ But it was nice for me because I saw the keeper go a little bit early and I put it away. So I went left anyway.”
Kane and Bellingham are now preparing for a blockbuster second leg in Madrid next Wednesday.
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The former Spurs striker said: “When you are 2-1 up in a big game and don’t win it, then there’s always a sense of disappointment but there’s a lot of positives to take.
“We’ve got a week now to digest it, look again and I think it will be a similar game next week.
“It’s amazing. Bayern Munich v Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League is as big as it gets.
“The Bernabeu will be the same next week and so this is the experience I want to take in my stride and this is what I came here for.
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“To have this opportunity is what I’m really excited about. It was nice out there, I felt I had a decent game, could have done better with a couple of half chances.
“But overall I know next week will be similar and I’m excited for that.”
Real will be favourites to reach the final but Kane has not given up hope of returning to London on June 1.
He said: “It’s there in the back of my head and I would be lying if I said that it wouldn’t be a dream to play a Champions League final at Wembley.
“But I said from before the Arsenal game, there are some big, big steps we have to take and next week will be the biggest.
“We have come through three big games pretty well. The two Arsenal games, the first Real Madrid game here but it all comes down to next week and we have to perform on that occasion.”
Real Madrid took the lead on 24 minutes last night when Toni Kroos found Vinicius Jr with a pinpoint pass after the Brazilian ran in behind Kim Min-jae before slotting past Manuel Neuer.
Leroy Sane thwacked Bayern level in the 53rd minute, coming inside onto his left foot before firing beyond Andriy Lunin.
Kane, 30, then made it 2-1 from the spot a few minutes later after “zoning out” Three Lions pal Bellingham.
Real Madrid levelled from a spot kick of their own on 83 minutes following a clumsy foul by Kim, Vinicius Jr making no mistake.
I’m sure he was saying something to try and put me off
Harry Kane
After the game, Kane spoke of “zoning” Bellingham out.
He said: “I’m sure he was saying something to try and put me off but, thankfully, it was OK.
“I don’t know what he was saying. I saw him there mumbling something.
“I’ll have to ask him what he actually said. Once I’m in my zone I’m trying to block everything out.”
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He then added: “The Champions League is the biggest of them all so if we can somehow get our hands on that one then of course it would be an amazing season. There’s still a long way to go.”
Bayern travel to Stuttgart this weekend ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid, while Real will host Cadiz.
This one will have stung Kane the most… what’s the German for schadenfreude?, says Dave Kidd
By Dave Kidd
OF all the trophies Harry Kane has missed out on, the Bundesliga will have stung the most.
This was supposed to have been a dead cert. This was nailed-on.
Bayern Munich had won 11 successive Bundesliga titles, so when the England captain signed for the great Bavarian powerhouse last summer, we all said: “Well, at least he’ll finally win something.”
Yet on Sunday evening, there were Bayer Leverkusen — known in Germany as ‘Neverkusen’ because they hadn’t previously won the league thanks to several late implosions — cavorting around, 16 points clear, unbeaten in all competitions and confirmed as champions with five games to spare.
And so the greatest trophy curse in footballing history continues.
And this one really is freakish because Leverkusen’s story is almost as extraordinary as Leicester City’s miracle title in 2015-16 — the season when Kane won his first Premier League Golden Boot and Tottenham ended up ‘third in a two-horse race’ behind Arsenal.
Kane is always the runner-up, always the nearly man, always the fall guy, too often a figure of fun for those taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.
Does anyone know the German word for schadenfreude…?
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
